Ice fishing shelter and method of ice fishing

ABSTRACT

A vehicle-attachable ice fishing shelter comprises a shelter body formed from flexible sheet material including a vertical wall panel defining three sides of the shelter and a generally horizontal top panel adjoining the wall panel. The shelter has an opening on one side. Top and side edges of the opening are secured during use to a road vehicle, e.g., a car, truck, SUV, etc., above a door of the vehicle and along the front and rear edges of the door opening so as to position the shelter adjacent to a door of the vehicle for enabling a fisherman sitting in the vehicle with the door open or closed to fish from the vehicle through an ice hole that is located within the shelter. The vehicle heater provides a draft of inflation air for heating, expanding and supporting the shelter.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an ice fishing shelter and method and more particularly to a flexible ice fishing shelter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A variety of tents and other kinds of shelters, some formed from flexible sheet material, have been used previously by fisherman for winter fishing on ice covered lakes to shelter them from the elements. These shelters are ordinarily quite bulky and require a wooden or metal framework for support. In addition, they can be cold and drafty and for warmth require a special heater, such as a kerosene, alcohol, or propane heater so that fuel needs to be transported to the site. In addition, such heaters can produce carbon monoxide which is potentially hazardous.

In view of these and other deficiencies of the prior art, it is one object of the present invention to provide an improved ice fishing shelter that shields the fisherman from the elements and does not require a self-contained heater or a rigid supporting framework formed from metal, plastic, wood or other solid material.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an ice fishing shelter that has top portion and sidewalls and a provision for being heated by an outside source of heat.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a flexible ice fishing shelter that can be attached to a solid structure without the need for fasteners of any kind on the structure so that it is not marred or defaced at the locations where the attachment is made.

Another objective is to provide an improved ice fishing shelter that requires no rigid supporting framework, that can be set up more quickly than previous shelters, and is less expensive.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved ice fishing shelter that employs an outside heating system to support the shelter without the need for a rigid framework as well as providing heat for preventing the ice hole from freezing over and keeping the fisherman warm, comfortable and protected from the elements.

Yet another object is to provide an ice fishing shelter that is easy to set up or take down and can be stored in a compact bundle about the size of a typewriter.

These and other more detailed and specific objects of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following figures and detailed description which illustrate by way of example but a few of the various forms of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of the invention as it appears during use.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing only the optional skirt portion placed to extend from the side of the vehicle downwardly to the ice surface.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the optional skirt portion of the shelter as it appears when set up for use.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a shelter top panel and side panel as they appear before being assembled.

FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of the invention with a supporting vehicle removed for clarity of illustration.

FIG. 6 is horizontal sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 1 and

FIG. 7 is a greatly enlarged partial side elevational view of the upper right hand corner of the shelter shown in FIG. 5.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A vehicle-attachable ice fishing shelter comprises a shelter body formed from flexible sheet material including a vertical wall panel defining three sides of the shelter and a generally horizontal top panel adjoining the wall panel. The shelter has an opening on one side. Top and side edges of the opening are secured during use to a road vehicle, e.g., a car, truck, SUV, etc., above a door of the vehicle and along the front and rear edges of the door opening so as to position the shelter adjacent to a door of the vehicle for enabling a fisherman sitting in the vehicle with the door open or closed to fish from the vehicle through an ice hole that is located within the shelter. The vehicle heater provides a draft of inflation air for heating, expanding and supporting the shelter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the Figures. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, an ice fishing shelter designated 10 includes a top portion comprising a generally horizontal top wall 12 and an upright sidewall 14 comprising a panel formed from one or more pieces of flexible sheet material 16, e.g., plastic film or nylon fabric. As shown in FIG. 1, the top wall 12 and the sidewall 14 can all be formed from the same continuous piece of flexible sheet material or if desired for convenience of manufacture, the top wall 12 can be a separate panel as shown in FIG. 4 and can be attached by a seam to a sidewall 14 by being heat sealed, sewn, stapled or otherwise fastened along its edges 12 a, 12 b, 12 c, and 12 d to corresponding edges 14 a-14 d of the sidewall 14. Thus, the shelter body 10 has a top wall 10 and sidewall 14 that form three sides of the shelter 10 and has an opening 18 on one side of the shelter. The opening 18 includes vertical side edges 20 and 22 and a horizontal top edge 24. During use, the edges 20-24 are attached to surround the door of a road vehicle, such as an automobile truck, van, SUV or the like. The edges of the opening are secured around the door opening 28 by means of connectors, in this case magnets 30, which are placed in chambers that are formed by sewing or heat sealing the sheet material along seal lines 34-36 (FIG. 7) to form a series of small pockets for the magnets 30 which can be introduced during manufacture through openings 38. The magnets securely fasten the shelter to the metallic body of the vehicle around the door opening 28, that is, around the front and rear edge of the door and over the top of the door by magnetic attraction. While magnets 30 are preferred because they do not deface, damage or otherwise mar the vehicle, other forms of connectors can be used such as snaps, Velcro, adhesive tape, zippers, eye hooks and the like.

The shelter can be generally cylindrical in shape or, if desired, the sidewall 14 can be divided into panels in a sheet of plastic film that intersect along vertical fold lines 15, 17, and 19 or nylon fabric sewn together along lines 15, 17, and 19.

During use, a draft of warm air is provided to the shelter 10 by the vehicle heater (not shown). Thus the vehicle heater keeps the fisherman warm as well as supporting the shelter 10 so that no rigid supporting framework, e.g., a framework formed from metal or wood, is required. Instead, the shelter is entirely supported by the draft of inflation air from the vehicle heater. The inflation air inflates and expands the shelter as shown by dotted line 29 in FIG. 6.

Once the shelter 10 has been set up, a fisherman sitting in the vehicle which is positioned on the ice surface 42 next to the ice hole 40, can fish through the door of the vehicle with the door 26 a either open or closed (in the latter case through the open window) using a fishing pole and fishing line dropped down through the ice hole 40 in the ice surface 42. As shown in FIGS. 1, 5, and 6, the sidewall 14 extends downwardly to the ice surface 42 and the shelter is open to, i.e., communicates with the ice hole 40. It is important to note that in the most preferred form of the invention, the shelter 10 is proportioned to accommodate the open door 26 a of the vehicle 26. This makes it possible to fish from the vehicle with the door open so that the fisherman can reach down into the hole 40 to land the fish.

Optionally, a barrier comprising a skirt 50 formed from another sheet of flexible material is secured to the vehicle in a vertical position extending downwardly below the door opening 28 and has a lower edge portion 52 which rests on the ice surface. During use, the barrier 50 closes the shelter 10 on all sides so that a complete air chamber is formed. Optionally, if desired, the barrier 50 can be provided with a pair of laterally spaced apart strips 54 formed from flexible magnetic material such as strips of rubberized magnetic material so that the adjacent magnetic connectors in the lower portions 20 a and 22 a of the shelter 10 are secured to the barrier 50 by magnetic attraction. This can help to form a better seal, if desired, by sealing off the shelter 10 from outside air or exhaust gas that may otherwise enter the shelter from below as well as preventing warm air inside the shelter from escaping to the outside.

The shelter can be formed from any of a variety of flexible sheet materials including plastic film (such as 10 mil polyethylene film or polypropylene film), fiber reinforced plastic film, as well as waterproof tent fabric such as nylon fabric that is used for making tents, awnings and the like.

The lower portion 14 b of the wall 14 extends downwardly to the ice surface 42 so that it touches or, if desired, can be laid out horizontally on the ice surface as shown in FIG. 5 and is optionally weighted with snow if snow is available or otherwise stabilized with weights in case there is a breeze.

The invention occupies little space, is easy to transport as a compact bundle that can be stored in a small plastic bag and can be quickly set up for use. To use the invention, the fisherman simply drives the vehicle 26 out onto the ice surface 42, removes the shelter from a storage container (not shown) and attaches the side edges 20 and 22 to the metallic wall of the vehicle around the door opening 28 and the top edge 24 along the top edge of the vehicle above the door. The vehicle heater is turned on during use to keep the fishermen warm as they sit within the vehicle on the vehicle seat 26 b while fishing through the ice hole 40. The door 26 a can either be open during use as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or closed with the window open while fishing. If desired, the barrier 50 comprising the skirt can be attached to the vehicle 26 below the door 28 by means of magnets 30 with its upper edge 51 just below the bottom of the door opening as shown in FIG. 2.

The invention is inexpensive, easy to use, provides outstanding comfort for the fisherman and does not require a rigid supporting framework. Moreover, the connectors 30 do not require any kind of modification to the vehicle that would deface, mar, or otherwise damage the vehicle or change its appearance. In addition, the draft of warm air from the vehicle heater (not shown) which would otherwise be wasted is used to inflate, expand and support the shelter 10 so that there is adequate area for fishing from the comfort of the vehicle. Moreover, the warm heater air will keep the fishing hole from freezing while fishing from the vehicle. In addition, the shelter 10 which can be used on either side of the vehicle acts as a windbreak that surrounds the open door of the vehicle. The connecters, e.g., magnets 30 or other fasteners prevent the escape of an excessive amount of air which helps keep the shelter in an expanded condition during use. The shelter can be made any size and, if desired, can even be made large enough for the fisherman to place folding chairs inside the shelter and fish while seated inside the shelter with the vehicle heater running to support and heat the shelter. In that case, the shelter can be made from transparent plastic sheet material such as clear vinyl, plastic, clear polyethylene film or nylon fabric.

Many variations of the present invention within the scope of the appended claims will be apparent to those skilled in the art once the principles described herein are understood. 

1. A vehicle-attachable ice fishing shelter comprising, a shelter body formed from flexible sheet material that includes a side wall defining three sides of the shelter and a top portion to form an ice fishing shelter that extends downwardly to the ice surface, the shelter having an opening on one side thereof, the opening having top and side edges, connectors for attaching the edges of the shelter to the vehicle adjacent to a door of the vehicle for positioning the shelter outside of and proximate the door of the vehicle to enable a fisherman sitting in the vehicle to fish from the vehicle through an ice hole located within the shelter.
 2. The shelter of claim 1 wherein all of the walls and top portion are formed from the same piece of flexible sheet material.
 3. The shelter of claim 1 wherein the side wall is formed from at least one piece of the flexible sheet material and the top portion has a top wall that is connected to top edges of the vertical wall by a seam.
 4. The shelter of claim 1 wherein the connectors comprise a plurality of magnets attached to the top and side edges of the opening of the shelter for connecting the edges of the shelter to the vehicle by magnetic attraction.
 5. The shelter of claim 1 wherein the shelter includes a barrier member for being positioned to extend from the door opening of the vehicle to the ice surface below the door opening of the vehicle to thereby close the shelter on all sides.
 6. A vehicle-attachable ice fishing shelter comprising, a shelter body formed from flexible sheet material and having a top portion and sides to define an enclosure that extends downwardly to the ice surface and communicates with the ice hole and includes an opening therein that is constructed and arranged to fit the perimeter of a door opening of the vehicle and to be connected to the vehicle adjacent the door opening so as to enable a draft from a vehicle heater within the vehicle to expand the shelter adjacent the vehicle and to maintain the shelter inflated during use for allowing a fisherman seated in the vehicle with the door open or closed to fish from the vehicle through an ice hole located within the shelter.
 7. The shelter of claim 6 wherein the shelter is formed from a single piece of the flexible sheet material.
 8. The shelter of claim 6 including a vertical wall formed from at least one piece of flexible sheet material and a top panel that is connected to top edges of the vertical wall.
 9. The shelter of claim 6 wherein the shelter includes connectors that comprise a plurality of magnets for securing the edges of the opening of the shelter to the vehicle by magnetic attraction.
 10. The shelter of claim 6 including a barrier member for being positioned to extend from a door opening of the vehicle to the ice surface below the door opening of the vehicle to thereby close the shelter on all sides.
 11. A vehicle-attachable ice fishing shelter comprising, a shelter body formed from flexible sheet material, said shelter having side portions and including an opening on a side thereof for attachment to a vehicle around a door opening of the vehicle and connectors formed from magnetic material for securing edges of the shelter opening to metallic portions of the vehicle proximate the door of the vehicle to thereby position the shelter outside of the vehicle adjacent to the door thereof for enabling a fisherman to fish through an ice hole located within the shelter.
 12. The shelter of claim 11 wherein the shelter is formed from a single piece of flexible sheet material.
 13. The shelter of claim 11 including a vertical wall formed from at least one piece of the flexible sheet material and a top piece of said sheet material is seamed to top edges of the vertical wall.
 14. The shelter of claim 11 including a barrier member for being positioned to extend from the door opening of the vehicle to the ice surface below a door opening of the vehicle to thereby close the shelter on all sides.
 15. A vehicle-attachable ice fishing shelter comprising, a shelter body formed from flexible sheet material with a top portion and sides walls and including an opening on a side thereof having edges adapted to be attached to a vehicle adjacent a door opening of the vehicle on the top and sides thereof and a skirt that comprises a barrier for being positioned to extend from the vehicle door opening downwardly to the ice surface below the door during use to thereby close the shelter on all sides.
 16. The shelter of claim 15 wherein the shelter is formed from one piece of flexible sheet material.
 17. The shelter of claim 15 including a vertical wall formed from at least one piece of the flexible sheet material and a top wall that is connected to top edges of the vertical wall.
 18. The shelter of claim 15 including a connector comprising a magnet attached to at least one edge of the opening of the shelter for securing the edge of the shelter to the vehicle by magnetic attraction.
 19. A method of ice fishing comprising, driving a road vehicle out onto the ice surface of a frozen body of water, providing a shelter body comprising flexible sheet material having a top portion and a side wall with an opening on a side thereof, securing edges of the opening to the vehicle adjacent a door of the vehicle so that the shelter is positioned proximate the vehicle door with the shelter enclosing an ice fishing hole, turning on a vehicle heater to provide a draft of air for the shelter so as to heat both the interior of the vehicle and the shelter and dropping a fishing line into the ice hole to thereby fish through said hole while the shelter is heated by means of the air draft from the vehicle heater.
 20. The method of claim 19 including the step of providing the shelter with a lower edge portion, placing the lower edge portion on the ice surface and placing a weight thereon to stabilize the shelter.
 21. The method of claim 19 including the step of providing barrier material below the door opening of the vehicle in a position to extend downwardly therefrom to the ice surface to thereby close the shelter below the vehicle door.
 22. The method of claim 19 wherein the fisherman sits on a seat of the vehicle and fishes while seated within the vehicle.
 23. The method of claim 19 wherein the vehicle heater draft provides inflation air that expands and supports the shelter. 